Specifically resources - both time and money. It is quite often that other things get sucked in when there is a vacuum. Nothing moves forward in a vacuum (for the physicists reading this, please don’t go off on me). Getting back to the concept of when nature abhors a vacuum, I think of a vacuum as a pause button. But wouldn’t you want to be part of an organization that has a vision and perhaps is unable to fully execute the initiatives to achieve that mission than be part of an organization that has a ‘wait and see’ mentality? Vacuum as a Pause And, of course, sometimes they are wrong. In the absence of movement, they often assume the reins and accomplish tasks. Leaders have never been comfortable letting someone else set their destiny. Many organizations sit and wait for the entire situation to unfold in front of them. Many times I have encountered the infamous paralysis as a result of analysis by leadership. In today’s world, you would be hard-pressed to find a graduate who did not spend large quantities of time collaborating on group projects, learning group dynamics, and sharing responsibility. When my parents went to university, there was a strong emphasis on individual achievements. This is a huge generational issue, folks! Different Generations of Leadership In the olden days of a purely hierarchical leadership style, the decisions made had a dictatorial tone, with little input from others. Today’s (successful) institutions thrive on collaboration and nurturing of talent. In my 25-plus years in the fundraising world, I have found that when a real leadership vacuum exists, it is usually due to an older style of leadership that no longer resonates with staff and volunteers. I wrote an article about the V-formation of leadership a few years ago here. In the absence of authentic leadership, others will pick up the leadership mantle themselves - be it lay leaders or staff members. The same statement could be easily translatable to leadership. (See the Wikipedia article about this theory here). The theory is that the denser surrounding material would immediately fill the rarity of an incipient void. Aristotle stated 2,000 years ago that Nature abhors a vacuum.
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